Local veteran awarded posthumous POW medal during Dyess AFB event

ABILENE, Texas - A local hero is recognized for his patriotism and sacrifice 65 years after his death. On Tuesday afternoon, at Dyess Air Force Base, the son of Capt. Stanley Van Aken Scott received a posthumous Prisoner of War Medal on his behalf. Capt. Stanley Scott from Abilene enlisted in 1939 and won his wings as a "flying sergeant" from Lubbock Flying School. PHOTOS OF RECIPIENT -} http://www.ktxs.com/454987947 Scott was held as POW at Wauwilermoos POW Camp in Switzerland during World War II where he suffered miserable condition for weeks. According to his family he managed to escape the prison camp in 1944 and returned to England. Then after 13 years of service in the U.S. Air Corps he was tragically killed in action in Korea in 1952. The former prisoner didn't receive those honorable discharge papers because he was killed in action. The veteran's son, who looks just like his father, said since his dad was a bomber pilot he felt it was fitting to have the award presented at Dyess by Senator John Cornyn. "The medals were held back for a long time because of Joseph Heller's novel - Catch 22 - and the whole hysteria that went around that time," Scott said. The misconception was that U.S. airmen were attempting to avoid combat by ditching their planes in neutral countries, which was later disproved in 2013. " To have the acknowledgement of what you did shown to the world, I think is a very important thing. He was a proud member of the Army Air Force prior to World War II he joined in 1939 , " Stanley Scott II said.

While he never had a chance to know his father, he says the recognition validates all the heroic stories he's heard about his father: " a man who escaped two prisons camps and still served on the active reserves after World War II " only to pay the ultimate sacrifice in Korea.

A local hero is recognized for his patriotism and sacrifice 65 years after his death.

On Tuesday afternoon, at Dyess Air Force Base, the son of Capt. Stanley Van Aken Scott received a posthumous Prisoner of War Medal on his behalf.

Scott from Abilene enlisted in 1939 and won his wings as a "flying sergeant" from Lubbock Flying School.

Scott was held as POW at Wauwilermoos POW Camp in Switzerland during World War II, where he suffered miserable condition for weeks.

According to his family he managed to escape the prison camp in 1944 and returned to England. Then, after 13 years of service in the U.S. Air Corps, he was tragically killed in action in Korea in 1952. The former prisoner didn't receive those honorable discharge papers because he was killed in action.

The veteran's son, who looks just like his father, said because his dad was a bomber pilot he felt it was fitting to have the award presented at Dyess by U.S. Sen. John Cornyn.

"The medals were held back for a long time because of Joseph Heller's novel - Catch 22 - and the whole hysteria that went around that time," Stanley Scott II said.

The misconception was that U.S. airmen were attempting to avoid combat by ditching their planes in neutral countries, which was later disproved in 2013.

"To have the acknowledgement of what you did shown to the world, I think is a very important thing. He was a proud member of the Army Air Force prior to World War II he joined in 1939," Stanley Scott II said.

While he never had a chance to know his father, he says the recognition validates all the heroic stories he's heard about his father: "a man who escaped two prisons camps and still served on the active reserves after World War II" only to pay the ultimate sacrifice in Korea.